Independent Non-Executive Directors

CHAN Chuk Pui (Director since 2006)

Mr. Chan started his career as a Marine Engineer in Merchant Navy Ships with Alfred Holt & Co., Liverpool, which was later renamed Ocean Fleet Ltd. In 1970, he obtained his combined certificate of competency 1st class engineers Steam and Motorship.

Mr. Chan joined World-Wide Shipping Agency Ltd., Hong Kong, in 1972 and was appointed Director in 1990. He was responsible for technical department with a large fleet of dry bulker and tankers include ULCCs.

Mr. Chan was transferred to Singapore office in 1993, as an Executive Director, when the company expanded its operation. He was in-charged of Ship management Division. In the early 2000 he was appointed Senior Executive Vice President.

In 2003, Mr. Chan was transferred back to Hong Kong and was appointed Director and Vice President of International United Shipping Agency Ltd. and retired in 2004.

Mr. Chan is a Chartered Engineer, a member of the Institute of Marine Science & Technology, Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.

Walter CZERNY (Director since 2006)

Mr. Walter John Czerny retired from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) after a 37 year career with the Classification Society in 2006. The last 12 years of his career he held the position of corporate Vice President and President of the Pacific Division based in Singapore . Earlier positions included Country Manager of Taiwan and Japan and Assistant VP of the Operations Department in the corporate office. Prior to joining ABS, Mr. Czerny sailed as a licensed engineering officer in the Merchant Marine.

Mr. Czerny has been a Trustee of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Foundation since 2007.

Mr. Czerny’s academic and professional achievements include: graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in Marine & Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He attended Harvard Business School’s program for Management Development, and attended the Centre for Creative Leadership’s program Leadership at the Peak.

Ian MCLEISH (Director since 2004)

Mr. McLeish is an independent consultant who has specialised in Asian shipping matters over several decades.

Mr. McLeish started his career at Bunge Limited, the commodity trading group, before moving to Citibank where he became the founding president of Citicorp Leasing International. He has served as chairman and/or executive or non-executive director of numerous private companies in the financial and commercial sectors in the UK, Europe, the USA and several Asian countries.

Until he retired in early 2015, Mr. McLeish was Deputy Chairman and Trustee of United Response, a large UK charity which cares for adults with learning disabilities.

Mr. McLeish graduated from Downing College, Cambridge with a Master of Arts degree in Modern Languages and Literature.

Peter John MURRAY (Director since 2014)

Mr. Murray has spent his career of 35 years as a maritime lawyer in Asia stationed in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. He has practised in a number of areas including casualty, charterparty and contract of carriage disputes.

In the past 20 years living in Shanghai, Mr. Murray has focused on non-contentious areas including shipbuilding and finance, joint ventures and establishing operations in China. He founded the Shanghai office of Ince & Co LLP in 2000 and managed the office for 13 years. He now provides consulting services through a PRC law firm, Hisun & Co, with the focus on doing business in Shanghai.

Mr. Murray is a Visiting Professor of Dalian and Shanghai Maritime Universities and an arbitrator of the Shanghai Arbitration Court of International Shipping. He studied at the Universities of Sydney and London and is a solicitor admitted to practise in London. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is the author of International Trade and Maritime Law in China (Thomson Reuters).

Joan Maria P.E. TING (Director since 2014)

Ms. Ting opted for early retirement in Jun 2013 after 36 years with DBS Bank. During the last 12 years before retirement, she held the position of Managing Director, Head Corporate Credit Group with responsibility for the development, organization and oversight of the credit approval and credit risk management functions of portfolios under Investment Banking, Financial Institutions including banks and Private Banking.

During her career with DBS Bank she had management responsibility and worked in various departments including Corporate Finance, Corporate Banking including Trade Services and Funds Transfer Operations, Global Operations Centre (responsible for the operations of all the overseas branches of DBS Bank including China, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Seoul, Tokyo, London and USA), Chairman's Office and Group Credit.

Ms. Ting graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) from the University of Singapore. She had previously served as a committee member of the Financial Industry Competency Standards Committee (and Chairman of the FICS Corporate banking Sub-Committee), the Association of Banks in Singapore/Corporate Banking Committee, Singapore Shipping Association and the Singapore Business Federation/Services Industries Executive Committee. She also held past directorships in Ecobulk Shipping Sdn Bhd, Singapore Petroleum Company, CWT Ltd and Singapore Biotech Ltd.

Ms. Ting was appointed an Independent Director of First Sponsor Group Limited (FSGL) on 19th May 2014. FSGL was listed on the Stock Exchange of Singapore with effect from 22nd July 2014. Ms Ting currently chairs the Nominating Committee of FSGL and is also a member of the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee of FSGL.

David Cheng Fu Kwok (Director since 2016)

After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, Mr. David Cheng joined World-Wide Shipping Agency Ltd in 1976 as executive trainee. He was in 1978 transferred to the Group’s subsidiary in Tokyo and later became Manager of Commercial Division there.

In 1984, Mr. Cheng joined Citibank as Assistant Vice President in the Shipping Division and became Vice President and Head of Shipping Division in 1985.

In April 1988, Mr. Cheng joined Indosuez Asia Limited, the merchant bank subsidiary of Banque Indosuez as Head of Shipping in Asia. In 1992, he set up Indosuez Asia Shipfinance Limited, Hong Kong, a 100% subsidiary of Banque Indosuez to conduct the shipfinance business of the Bank in Asia.

Mr. Cheng has retired from the position of Head of Shipfinance in Asia of Credit Agricole CIB effective 1 May 2014, and from 1 May 2014 to 30 June 2016, he served as the Senior Advisor to the Global Shipping Group of the Bank. He is also a Director and the Honorary Chairman of Credit Agricole Asia Shipfinance Limited.

From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, Mr. Cheng took up the position of member of Investment Committee of Sea Bridge Finance Limited, a joint venture debt fund established by SMTB (Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank) and Credit Agricole CIB.

Mr. Cheng is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Singamas Container Holdings Limited as from 1 November 2012.

Mr. Cheng served as the Honorary Treasurer of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association from 2001 to 2008, and a member of the Hong Kong Maritime Industry Council of Transport and Housing Bureau, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from March 2008 to March 2016. He is currently a member of the Working Group on Transportation under the Hong Kong Economic Development Commission, and from April 2016 onwards, he also serves as a member of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (MPB) and the Chairman of Promotion and External Relations Committee of MPB. He is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum.

In June 2015, Mr. Cheng was conferred the Distinction of "Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite" by the French Government.